Home»News Release» Alta Bates Summit’s East Bay AIDS Center Has Been Making a Positive Impact for 30 Years

Alta Bates Summit’s East Bay AIDS Center Has Been Making a Positive Impact for 30 Years

Posted on Nov 30, 2017

For more than 30 years, Sutter Health’s East Bay AIDS Center (EBAC) at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center has been a recognized leader in providing critical primary care services for low-income people living with HIV in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Founded in 1987, EBAC is dedicated to the care and treatment of people living with HIV and AIDS, and conducts a broad range of programs and projects designed to better serve these populations.

Although progress has been made nationally in reducing overall rates of new HIV infections, rates are rising among young gay and bisexual men of color in Oakland, Richmond, Berkeley and other East Bay communities.

EBAC is deeply engaged in trying to stem that rising tide. Treating those in the community who are already HIV-positive not only can restore their own health, but can also virtually eliminate their risk of transmitting HIV to others. EBAC also now offers intensive preventive care for those who are HIV-negative but at risk of acquiring the infection. These services include providing medications proven to dramatically reduce the risk of HIV infection.

“We want to break down barriers preventing young people from seeking help, and reduce the impact of HIV on our community,” says Jeffrey Burack, M.D., M.P.P., co-medical director of EBAC. “Through our outreach and education programs we want to identify individuals who should be HIV tested and who may not have access to compassionate, non-judgmental sexual health care. If you are HIV negative, we want to help you develop a personalized plan to stay negative. If you are positive, we want to help get you into successful treatment.”

EBAC cares for approximately 1,500 HIV-positive and 500 HIV-negative patients each year and is the only full-time, hospital-based HIV primary care center in Alameda County. EBAC’s mission is to provide highest-quality, confidential, and nonjudgmental professional treatment and support services to all clients regardless of their income status, insurance, or ability to pay.

Downtown Youth Clinic
EBAC also operates the Downtown Youth Clinic- the first and only clinic in the East Bay specifically dedicated to providing highest-quality medical care to HIV-diagnosed young people, and the largest youth-specific HIV clinic in California.